Absolute configuration of podophyllotoxone and its inhibitory activity against human prostate cancer cells / 中国天然药物

Podophyllotoxone (1) was isolated from the roots of Dysosma versipellis. The structure was determined by spectroscopic analysis in combination with single-crystal X-ray analysis. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was assigned based on the Flack parameter. It showed significant inhibitory activities against human prostate cancer cells PC3 and DU145 with IC50 values being 14.7 and 20.6 μmol·L(-1), respectively. It also arrested the cells at G2/M phase. Tubulin polymerization assay showed that it inhibited the tubulin polymerization in a dose-dependent manner, and molecular docking analysis revealed a different binding mode with tubulin as compared with those known tubulin inhibitors.